Nikola Jokic's 33 Points Help Nuggets Edge Luka Doncic, Mavericks

The Denver Nuggets finished their five-game road trip with a 107-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night.

The Mavericks held a 106-105 lead when Delon Wright's three-point attempt rimmed out. After a full timeout by Denver with 23.2 seconds left in regulation, Nikola Jokic worked the post to score a go-ahead layup with 7.9 seconds remaining. The Mavericks' final possession was poorly executed, resulting in a wild pass that crossed midcourt and ended the game.

"

Tough one. Fourth time in the last 2 weeks Mavs have lost a lead with less than 3 minutes to go.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) January 9, 2020"

The Mavericks were again without All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis, who has not played since Dec. 29 because of right knee soreness. Porzingis' length might have made a difference on Jokic's game-winner:

Head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update on the 24-year-old Tuesday:

Dallas is 2-3 without Porzingis.

Denver won without starting forwards Paul Millsap (knee) and Will Barton III (personal reasons). Torrey Craig and Jerami Grant replaced them in the starting five.

The Nuggets improved to 26-11 as they continue to chase the 30-7 Los Angeles Lakers atop the Western Conference. Dallas dropped to 23-14 ahead of an important clash with the Lakers on Friday night.

Notable Performances

DEN C Nikola Jokic: 33 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

DEN G Jamal Murray: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

DEN G Jerami Grant: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks

DAL F Luka Doncic: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists

DAL F Dwight Powell: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

DAL G Tim Hardaway Jr.: 15 points, 2 assists

Nikola Jokic Comes Up Big in Career-Best Third Quarter, with Game-Winning Bucket

Jokic had been held to seven points through halftime.

And then the third quarter happened:

"

 21 3rd-quarter points for The Joker. 

: ESPN pic.twitter.com/TJegDv3yCQ

— NBA (@NBA) January 9, 2020"

The 24-year-old All-Star continued what he had started in Denver's 123-115 victory in Atlanta:

Jokic was quieter in the fourth quarter but delivered when it mattered most:

Even when the 2014 second-round pick couldn't convert his shots in the early going, he was pivotal to any offensive success for the Nuggets:

This clutch performance was a microcosm of just how much Jokic has influenced Denver's standing in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are 13-7 since Dec. 1, including a seven-game winning streak that saw them beat a LeBron James-less Lakers squad 128-104 on Dec. 22. The Serbian big averaged 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists across 16 games in December.

Overall this season, Jokic's 193 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game lead the Nuggets.

Luka Doncic Shows Versatility by Adjusting in Off Night from Deep

The reigning Rookie of the Year came up one rebound short of his third triple-double of the month and 12th triple-double this season, but the Nuggets weren't totally spared from peak Doncic:

Doncic shot 11-of-24 from the field and just 1-of-7 from three-point range. The 20-year-old was able to adjust in-game in order to avoid becoming a non-factor:

It's that versatility that makes Doncic one of the league's biggest rising stars. It also had to be frustrating for the Nuggets, who used Grant and Craig to fluster Doncic in the first quarter:

Denver was able to clamp down on Doncic by double-teaming him on the Mavs' final possession, which at least in part led to their inability to even get a shot off. There's no doubt that Dallas goes as Doncic goes.

What's Next?

The Mavs will host the Lakers on Friday night, and the Nuggets will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.